Page:Xenophon by Alexander Grant.djvu/81

Rh ceased to be the first man in Byzantium; for Anaxibius, the High Admiral of Sparta, happened to come there, and was, of course, superior to the local governor. The first intrigue against the Greek army was managed by Pharnabazus, the Persian satrap in their neighbourhood, who made interest with Anaxibius to remove them out of his country. Anaxibius, willing to gratify an Oriental magnate, made no scruple in inviting the Greeks over to Byzantium, under promise of pay for the troops. When he had got them there he gave them no pay, but simply ordered them to pack up and march home by the Chersonese. The soldiers were naturally excited at this treatment, and they were within an ace of sacking the town of Byzantium. Xenophon required all his oratory to dissuade them from such a step, which would have infallibly reduced them all to the position of hopeless outlaws. The attention of the army was now diverted by the offers of a Theban adventurer, who proposed to engage them for a filibustering expedition. As, however, it turned out that he was unable to provision them, the negotiations broke down, and the army took up its quarters in some Thracian villages, not far from Byzantium. A good many of the soldiers disbanded; some sold their arms to pay their passage home; others joined the people in the neighbouring towns.

Xenophon in the meanwhile had taken leave of the army, having induced Anaxibius to give him a passage home. They sailed together, but before they had got out of the Sea of Marmora they were met by one Aristarchus, who was on his way to replace Cleander as governor of